Revanth new TDP floor leader TRS MP terms him iron leg

In an apparent effort to ward off another possible shock, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu anoints Revanth Reddy in key post; TRS leaders go hammer and tongs against the young leader

Hyderabad: AP Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu, in a quick move to ward off any more shocks from the party’s Telangana unit, has appointed Kodangal MLA Revanth Reddy as the TDP Floor Leader in Telangana Legislative Assembly.

It may be mentioned here that two senior TDP MLAs from Telangana, Errabelli Dayakar Rao and Prakash Goud, inflicted a blow to the party by defecting to the TRS, thus rendering the Telangana unit of the party a sinking ship. Speculations were also rife that there were some more TDP leaders waiting in wings to switch loyalty to the pink party.

Even Revanth Reddy’s name figured among the probable fence-sitters, though he is a prime accused in the sensational cash-for-vote scam when he was caught red-handed while allegedly handing over cash to nominated Anglo-Indian MLA Elvis Stephenson.

Thus, true to the adage once bitten twice shy, Naidu seemed to avert another catastrophe by immediately entrusting the Floor leadership to Revanth Reddy. A letter to this effect was handed over to Assembly Speaker by TDP general secretary M Amarnath Babu.

Meanwhile, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leaders Balka Suman and Jeevan Reddy here on Thursday went hammer and tongs against Telangana TDP working president A Revanth Reddy.

Speaking to media persons here, TRS MP from Peddapalli Balka Suman demanded that Revanth Reddy disclose for how many crores of rupees he had sold himself to the TDP supremo to continue his witch-hunting against the ruling party. Reminding that political defections in the State had started when the TRS was in the Opposition, Suman ridiculed Revanth Reddy’s claim that defections were being engineered by the TRS now.

The Peddapalli MP said the day was not far off when Revanth Reddy would ditch the TDP for greener pastures. Predicting that the TDP would disappear in Telangana State very soon, Suman said the TDP which had been claiming itself as a national party would reduce into a mini regional party.

“The TDP will be extinct in Telangana on any day like the Lalu Prasad’s RJD in Jharkhand State after it was carved out as separate State from Bihar. No force on the earth would save the TDP from extinction in Telangana State,” he said, adding that barring a couple of leaders, all the TDP men would throng the TRS fort. Suman also dubbed Revanth Reddy as an iron leg.